Mission

Our mission is to bring about a vibrant community where people lead fulfilling lives and make meaningful contributions.

Vision

People will have the freedom to build the life they need and achieve the things they want. Individuals and their circles of support will have control regarding the nature of the services and supports they receive, agencies and staff who provide the support and how funding available to them is used, as the board implements the principles of self-determination every day, with everyone. People will have access to a greater number and variety of high-quality services and supports. Individuals will have expanded opportunities to live in homes they choose and to be involved in their neighborhoods and communities. We will, by example, educate members of the community how to look past differences, gain understanding, and embrace acceptance of people with disabilities.

Individuals will be safe and healthy. People will live, learn, work and play in safe and healthy environments and will increase their knowledge and skill to maintain and improve their own health and safety. Individuals’ health and safety will be protected by systemic safeguards.

The Fairfield County Board of Developmental Disabilities will build and enhance formal human resource systems to support a quality system rooted in self-determination. The Board will enhance hiring and contracting practices and human resource development that supports a highly skilled workforce. Staff and providers will have the skills and knowledge necessary to provide exemplary services and supports. The Board will maintain an organizational structure and culture that fosters team building, staff collegiality, and an understanding of the Board’s mission.

The Fairfield County Board of Developmental Disabilities will maintain a secure and stable system to meet current and future needs of individuals and families. The Board will increase financial and technological resources to meet the service and support needs of eligible individuals, focusing on non-levy funding. The Board will expand its capacity to use data-based information as the foundation of decisions. The Board will expand community awareness of Fairfield DD.

Values

Demonstrate respect for people receiving support. All implementation strategies will show respect for the privacy, individuality, and self-determination of the people receiving support.

Emphasize relevant activities. Implementation strategies will be designed to provide information on topics that have meaning to the people who receive supports and be relevant to their daily lives.

Provide evidence of the effectiveness of intervention/support methods. Implementation strategies will be designed to produce qualitative and quantitative evidence that demonstrates the effectiveness of support models and approaches, funding methodologies, systems designs, quality assurance/improvement techniques, evaluation methods, and data management procedures. The emphasis will be on the development of proven or evidence-based practices that result in measurable performance outcomes at both the individual and systems levels.

Reflect financial reality. All strategies will reflect the day-to-day financial realities of service provision, and demonstrate an understanding of cost and expenditure data that are related to the current and future affordability of long-term systems of support. Budgeting will be viewed as a discipline to decide which arenas should be fully funded and which should not be funded at all.

Demonstrate practical use and functionality. All implementation strategies will focus on the development of practical solutions to day-to-day problems faced by individuals, family members, staff, and affiliated organizations. Emphasis will be placed on developing tools to improve quality and capacity, reduce cost, document change, and replicate effective models of service and support provision.

Discover new approaches. Strategies will lead, when possible and appropriate, to the development of new service designs that demonstrate improvements in support outcomes and do not kill “creative magic.” All policies and procedures will be reviewed to eliminate bureaucracy and hierarchy.

Objectives will be recorded in concrete. Plans can change throughout the year, but what we measure ourselves against will never change. We will develop “to do” lists and “stop doing” lists. We will be rigorous at the end of a review cycle, adhering exactly to what we said was going to happen. We will not just focus on what we’ve accomplished for the review cycle, we will focus on what we’ve accomplished relative to what we said we were going to accomplish – no matter how tough the measure.

Commitments

We commit to use taxpayer dollars effectively and efficiently.

We commit to use technology to open doors.

We commit to build networks of relationships in community life.

We commit to help people discover their personal genius.

We commit to protect health, wellness and safety.

We commit to support people's contributions and accomplishments through valued social roles.

We commit to promote choice and self-direction.

We commit to strengthen the culture of rights, respect and dignity.

We commit to foster excellence, collaboration and innovation in services.